Systems for mass producing mail pieces are well known in the art. Such systems are typically used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies and utility companies for producing a large volume of specific mailings like billing statements, or promotional offers. The starting point for the document production process is a stream of print data generated by the organization wishing to create the mailing. The print stream may be sent to a high volume printer. Such high volume printing results in large rolls or stacks of documents, usually connected in a continuous web. The webs of documents are transported to an inserter machine to be separated into individual pages and turned into mail pieces. Examples of such inserter systems are the 8 series the 9 series or APS™ inserter systems available from Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford Conn.
Mail pieces are typically processed in large groups called “mail runs.” Several thousand related mail pieces are typically grouped together in a mail run, with similar types of processing and inserts. Mail runs are typically tracked and managed as a group, and mail runs are conventionally submitted to a delivery service for delivery as a group.
In many respects the typical inserter system resembles a manufacturing assembly line. Sheets and other raw materials (other sheets, enclosures, and envelopes) enter the inserter system as inputs. A plurality of different modules or workstations in the inserter system work cooperatively to process the sheets until a finished mail piece is produced. The exact configuration of each inserter system depends upon the needs of each particular customer or installation.
Typically, inserter systems prepare mail pieces by gathering collations of documents on a conveyor. The collations are then transported on the conveyor to an insertion station where they are automatically stuffed into envelopes. After being stuffed with the collations, the envelopes are removed from the insertion station for further processing. Such further processing may include automated closing and sealing the envelope flap, weighing the envelope, applying postage to the envelope, and finally sorting and stacking the envelopes.
Each collation of documents processed by the inserter system typically includes a control document having coded control marks printed thereon. Scanners are located throughout the inserter system to sense documents and to allow control for processing of a particular mail piece. The coded marks may be bar codes, UPC code, or the like.
The inserter system control system is coupled to the inserter system's modular components. The control system stores data files with instructions of how individual mail pieces are to be processed. These data files are typically linked to individual mail pieces by the coded marks included on the control documents. As a collation passes through the inserter system, the coded marks on the control document are scanned and the control system directs the modular components to assemble the mail piece in accordance with the instructions for the piece.
At the various stages of the mail production and management process, sensors help to identify errors and mishandling of mail pieces. When an error is detected am error notification is typically generated. Such notification is provided to the local operator so that corrective action can be taken.
Once a finished mail piece has been formed, it is typically stacked in preparation for transfer to a carrier service, such as the U.S. Postal Service. Often, in order to receive postal discounts, it is advantageous to sort the outgoing mail in accordance postal regulations using known sorting devices.
Prior to transfer to the delivery service, completed mail runs are typically checked for quality and completeness. Because of the high volume of mail that is handled, occasionally a document submitted to the mail production equipment for processing cannot be accounted for at the output end. The unaccounted for mail pieces may have been mishandled, damaged, destroyed, or misplaced.
There are different costs associated with unaccounted for mail pieces. One cost is the expense of resubmitting and reprocessing the mail piece to ensure that the recipient gets the communication. Another cost may be harm caused if a missing document was accidentally stuffed into the wrong envelope and was sent to the wrong recipient. Depending on the particular circumstances, mailers will weigh the costs and risks and determine how carefully to balance mail runs.
For some types of mail runs, failure to balance mail piece accounts may not be significant. As an example, for a mailing that merely included a department store coupon, a mailer might decide to send out an unbalanced mail run. In this case, the mailer is risking the cost that a recipient might receive a coupon that was intended for someone else. This cost most likely would not justify redoing the entire mail run. Rather the missing mail piece might be reprinted and sent, and the balancing failure could be ignored.
However, if the mail run included financial, medical, or other sensitive information, a mailer may need 100% balancing before submitting a mail run for delivery. The potential harm, and loss of customer trust, if sensitive information were sent to the wrong recipient could be very damaging. In practice, some mailers have been known to bear the costs of discarding entire mail runs and completely redoing them when perfect balancing cannot be achieved.
With balancing considerations in mind, mailers decide how large to make their mail runs. To realize the full efficiencies of higher speed equipment, mailers tend to want to make larger mail runs. Making smaller mail runs can result in more set-up and downtime for the equipment. However, larger mail runs are more likely to result in a balancing failure, and are more expensive to discard and reprocess. These competing concerns may result in a mail producer using its mail production equipment at less than optimal volumes.
Another consideration in regard to balancing is the time that the effort takes. Often mailings are on a tight schedule, and sometimes time consuming mail piece account balancing issues can jeopardize meeting of deadlines.